A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse Part 6

"And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living being saying, Come! And I looked, and behold, a pale horse: and his name, who sat on him, was Death, and the pit followed with him. And power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, and with the wild beasts of the earth."-Rev. 6:7, 8.

The Christian church alone being a.n.a.logous to the civil power, it is within its pale that the fulfilment of this symbol is to be looked for.

During this period, violence is subst.i.tuted for famine; and men are compelled to apostatize, which results in spiritual death. The Papacy having the power to enforce her decrees, Christians had to embrace her faith, or be handed over to the secular power for punishment. They produced death by compelling men to apostatize, by withholding from them the word of life, by infusing into their minds pestiferous doctrines, and by the fear of the civil power,-symbolized by the sword, famine, pestilence, and beasts of the earth.

The Fifth Seal.

"And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those slain on account of the word of G.o.d, and on account of the testimony, which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on those, who dwell on the earth? And a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them, that they should rest yet for a short time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that were to be slain as they were, should be filled up."-Rev. 6:9-11.

This symbolized a period intervening between the time of the martyrdom, of those whose souls are seen in vision, and another time of persecution to follow. Consequently, the symbol represents the disembodied spirits of those who had already been slain. They symbolize the souls of martyrs who counted not their lives dear unto themselves for the sake of Christ; and being faithful unto death, were in expectation of a crown of life. Says Mr. Lord: "The term ta pt?ata is used in the prophecy to denote the dead bodies of the martyrs (chap. 11:9), and a? ???a? (20:4) to denote their disembodied spirits. They are represented as having been slain, and as uttering their appeal to G.o.d because of their blood having been shed."

Also: "The martyr souls are exhibited in their own persons; and obviously because no others could serve as their symbol,-there being no others that have undergone a change from a bodied to a disembodied life, nor that sustain such relations to G.o.d, of forgiveness, acceptance, and a.s.surance of a resurrection from death, and a priesthood with Christ during his victorious reign on the earth," Ex. Apoc. p. 155.

The altar, symbolizes the atonement made by Christ for sin; and, consequently, the position of the souls of the martyrs under it, indicates their reliance on him for an inheritance in his everlasting kingdom,-when "he shall come to be glorified in his saints," and to "take vengeance on them that know not G.o.d, and obey not the gospel," 2 Thess. 1:8, 10.

The presentation of white robes to them, symbolizes their acceptance and justification.

The declaration that they must rest till _their fellow-servants are killed_, as they have been, implies another persecution, to be subsequent to the period symbolized by the opening of this seal. The persecutions which followed the Reformation, in which the fires of Smithfield were lighted in England, the Huguenots were driven from France, and thousands suffered martyrdom, probably fulfilled this.

The interest taken by the souls of the martyrs in the avenging of their blood on the earth, shows that the spirits of departed saints look forward with intense interest to the time of their glorification. And although the dead who die in the Lord are blessed, the glories of the resurrection morn are not less desired by those who are absent from the body and present with the Lord, than by humble, devoted, waiting Christians here.

The opening of this seal evidently synchronizes with the commencement of the reformation, when they might have supposed the kingdom of G.o.d would immediately appear.

The Sixth Seal.

"And I beheld when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black like sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood: and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig-tree casteth its unripe figs, when shaken by a mighty wind. And the heaven departed like a scroll rolled together; and every mountain and island were removed from their places. And the kings of the earth, and the n.o.bles, and the rich, and the commanders, and the strong men, and every bond-man, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who can stand?"-Rev. 6:12-17.

The laws of symbolization require that symbols should not be representatives of their own order when there is any a.n.a.logous order to be representatives of. In other places in the Apocalypse, these symbols are used, under circ.u.mstances where it is impossible to regard them as symbols of their own order. And here, as the kings of the earth call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them after the heaven has departed as a scroll and every mountain and island is moved out of its place, it is necessary to regard them as symbols of objects of a.n.a.logous orders.

The earthquake, then, as in corresponding Scriptures, symbolizes a political revolution. The darkening of the sun and moon, would represent a change in the character of the rulers and legislators of the world, so that instead of extending a genial influence over their subjects, they should exert a deleterious one; and the fall of the stars, their ejection from their stations-synchronizing with the first five vials (16:1-11), and fulfilled in the political revolutions of Europe during the past century.

By the pa.s.sing away of the heavens and the removal of mountains and islands from their places, is symbolized the total dissolution of all human governments-corresponding to the seventh vial (16:20).

On the occurrence of this unprecedented state of anarchy, the inhabitants of earth will be aware of the proximity of the Advent. They flee from the face of the Lamb, which indicates his appearance in the clouds of heaven at his personal advent. The great day of wrath will have come; but before the infliction of merited punishment on his enemies, the servants of G.o.d are to be designated, the righteous dead are to be raised, and they with the righteous living are to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, 1 Thess. 4:17. The living righteous are designated by:

The Sealing of the Servants of G.o.d.

"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding fast the four winds of the earth, that a wind might not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having a seal of the living G.o.d: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to injure the earth and the sea, saying, Injure not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our G.o.d on their foreheads! And I heard the number of those sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand were sealed out of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Mana.s.seh twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed.

Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Zebulon twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed."-Rev. 7:1-8.

The symbols here presented, were seen immediately subsequent to the exhibition of the preceding ones. This alone would not prove that the events symbolized follow in order, but it is indicated by their being a continuation of the symbolization under the sixth seal, and before the opening of the seventh.

In the sixth chapter, the great men and rich men, as well as bond-men, are aware of the proximity of the day of the Lord, and seek for a refuge from the face of the Lamb. The next events in consecutive order, would be the resurrection of the righteous dead, the change of the living, their ascension to meet the Lord in the air, and the infliction of the wrath of G.o.d on the wicked.

After the wicked seek to escape from G.o.d's presence, the righteous are still unchanged upon the earth. But before the wrath of G.o.d is poured upon his enemies, the winds of heaven are to be holden while the angel of the living G.o.d seals his servants in their foreheads. The holding of the winds and the sealing are, consequently, subsequent to the terror of the wicked, at the appearance of the Saviour.

The four winds are the winds coming from all directions; and symbolize strife, war, and commotion among men, a.n.a.logous to the violent action of the winds of heaven.

In Dan. 7:2, the striving of the four winds upon the great sea preceded the rising of the four beasts: in other words, the various contests and strifes among the different people and tongues of earth resulted in the establishment of the successive empires which have arisen to universal dominion. The blowing of the wind seems to be any influence exerted upon men. In Ezek. 37:9 the breathing of the wind revives the dead; and in Zech. 5:9 it symbolizes the removal of the wickedness of the Jews.

The angels holding the winds, consequently, must symbolize the agencies which have the power to excite or quell these disturbing influences. They do the bidding of the Lord in restraining or exerting the influences which should produce the effect symbolized. The holding of them indicates the proximity and certainty of their blowing unless they are restrained. The earth, sea, and trees, which would be hurt by the blowing of the wind, evidently symbolize the different cla.s.ses of inhabitants of the earth, on whom an effect would be produced by the blowing of the winds, a.n.a.logous to the effect produced on those elements by a violent tempest, or hurricane.

The storm here symbolized is evidently that of which the Scriptures speak.

"On the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest," Psa. 11:6. "Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire," Isa. 29:6. "The Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail, and a destroying storm, as flood of waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand," _Ib._ 28:2.

The sealing of the servants of G.o.d in their foreheads, designates them, but does not const.i.tute them such; for none are sealed, only those who are previously his. This is in allusion to the ancient custom of stamping with a hot iron the name of the owner on the forehead or shoulder of his slave.

Before the final destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, Ezekiel saw in vision a man clothed in linen, with a writer's ink-horn by his side, who was commissioned to go through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And the destroying angels who were commanded to slay all, both old and young, to spare not, nor to have pity, were expressly told to "come not near any man upon whom is the mark," Ezek. 9:2-6. When the destroying angel pa.s.sed through Egypt, on the night of the Pa.s.sover, "to slay all the first-born of that nation, the houses of the Israelites were indicated by the blood of the Paschal Lamb sprinkled on their lintels and door-posts; and by these the angels pa.s.sed," Ex. 12:23. Thus in the present instance, before the descent of the impending storm, the servants of the Lord are to be indicated by the seal of the living G.o.d in their foreheads, and will be spared the horrible tempest which will "hurt" all those on whom it shall fall.

The 144,000,-the whole number sealed, is a perfect number,-an appropriate symbol of all the living righteous on the earth. The twelve tribes, then, would symbolize all the branches of Christ's mystical body in which the servants of G.o.d are found. The pious dead would need no mark indicative of their acceptance, having previously, in the white robes given them, received the symbols of their justification, 6:11. That their resurrection and the changing of the living, immediately succeeded, is evident from:

The Palm-bearing Mult.i.tude.

"After these things I looked, and lo, a great crowd, which no one could number, out of all nations, and tribes, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm-branches in their hands; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our G.o.d seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders and the four living beings, and fell before the throne on their faces, and wors.h.i.+pped G.o.d, saying, Amen: blessing and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our G.o.d for ever and ever. Amen! And one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said to him, My Lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they who came out of great affliction, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this, they are before the throne of G.o.d, and serve him day and night in his temple: and He, who sitteth on the throne, will dwell among them. They will hunger no more, and will thirst no more; nor will the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will tend them, and lead them to fountains of living waters: and G.o.d will wipe away every tear from their eyes."-Rev. 7:9-17.

This great mult.i.tude of white-robed palm-bearers, must include those who, under the preceding seal, anxiously inquired how long was to be deferred the avenging of their blood on those who dwell on the earth. That epoch had now arrived; and they come forth arrayed in the white robes then given them. The palm-branches in their hands, are emblems of victory. They symbolize the subjects of the first resurrection, caught up to meet the Lord in the air. That they are gathered from every land and every age, is a.s.serted when it is said they are from every kindred, tongue, and people; and that they triumph over death and the grave, is evident from the answer of one of the elders to the questions: "What are these?" and "Whence came they?"

The epoch, is a point of time intervening between the first resurrection, and the descent of the new Jerusalem, 21:2. The loud and united voice, with which the redeemed mult.i.tude cry "Salvation to our G.o.d which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb,"-synchronizes with that of the "great mult.i.tude," which, like the voice of many waters, and of "mighty thunderings," shouted "Alleluia: for the Lord G.o.d omnipotent reigneth"

(19:6), immediately preceding the marriage-supper of the Lamb (19:6-9).

They are removed above the troubles of earth, which are impending upon the wicked, under:

The Seventh Seal.

"And when he opened the seventh seal, silence took place in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels, who stood before G.o.d; and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood by the altar, having a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne.

And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before G.o.d from the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and out it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake."-Rev. 8:1-5.

The epoch of this seal, is sometimes regarded as anterior to that of the trumpets; and those are often supposed to be included in the events of this seal; but no conclusive reason has ever been given for removing it from its obvious position as the closing one, of a series of successive periods, commencing with the gospel, and extending to the end of the world. If the first six are successive in their respective order, a.n.a.logy would require that the seventh be thus considered.